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Columbia University Native American Council Objects to Columbus Day Views

ICTMN Staff

10/26/11

The Native American Council of Columbia University, in New York City, recently had an opinion piece by Julian NoiseCat published in the Columbia Daily Spectator to combat statements made by the Columbia University College Republicans during a Columbus Day event.

NoiseCat, a Columbia College first-year and member of the council, points out that his organization supports the replacement of Columbus Day with Indigenous People’s Day.

He says the council felt it had to respond to the statements made by College Republicans members in a story titled “Two different celebrations mark Columbus Day,” also published in the Columbia Daily Spectator.

As Native Americans, we are an inherently political group. We are not governed by party lines but by an everyday awareness of over 500 years of oppression that began with Columbus and that is perpetuated by the ignorance and complacency of men and women who call our ancient territories “home,” yet fail to acknowledge the sacrifice and suffering of the original guardians of this land and their African brethren upon which this nation was built. It is for this reason that the Native American Council has decided to respond to the opinions expressed by the Columbia University College Republicans.

NoiseCat goes on to describe why Christopher Columbus was “not a man to celebrate.”